Baked Chicken Wings

Ingredients:

• 1 pound chicken wings, separated at joints, tips discarded
• 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 1/3 cup hot sauce (Franks Red Hot works great) 
• 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1/4 teaspoon salt

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.
2. Put a cooling rack on top of a baking sheet lined with foil. 
3. Bake 20-25 minutes or until chicken is cooked all the way through
4. Meanwhile, melt butter in a small saucepan, add hot sauce, garlic powder and 1/4 teaspoon of salt.
5. Toss cooked chicken in sauce and put back in the oven for an additional 5 minutes 
6. Add more sauce if needed 
7. Serve with celery, carrots and blue cheese dressing

Spaghetti Squash Fun

Instead of cooking spaghetti, a fun/healthy alternative is to use spaghetti squash. It's pretty bland, so use it with recipes that have tons of flavor. Here I cooked up some sausage, added garlic, onion, a can of diced tomatoes, and some spices to the cooked spaghetti squash. I topped it with cheese and cooked it for a bit more before mixing it all together. 

Spicy Sausage Pasta

Ingredients:

• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1 lb smoked sausage (I use turkey sausage)
• 1 diced onion 
• 2 cloves garlic
• 2 cups low-sodium chicken broth
• 1 can Ro-Tel tomatoes and green chiles
• 1/2 cup heavy cream
• 8 oz penne pasta
• 1 cup Monterey Jack cheese, shredded
• 1/3 cup thinly sliced scallions

Directions:

1. Add olive oil to an oven-safe skillet over medium high heat until just smoking. Add sausage and onions and cook until lightly browned, about 4 minutes. Add garlic and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds.
2. Add broth, tomatoes, cream, pasta, salt and pepper and stir. Bring to a boil, cover skillet, and reduce heat to medium-low. Simmer until pasta is tender, about 15 minutes.
3. Remove skillet from heat and stir in 1/2 cup cheese. Top with remaining cheese and sprinkle with scallions. Broil until cheese is melted, spotty brown, and bubbly.

Zucchini Lasagna

Ingredients: 

• 1 lb ground sausage (or one package of sausage links and squeeze out the sausage)
• 3 cloves garlic
• 1/2 onion
• 1 tsp olive oil
• 28 oz can crushed tomatoes
• 2 tbsp chopped fresh basil
• 3 zucchini
• 15 oz tub of ricotta
• 1 package of shredded mozzarella cheese
• 1/4 cup parmesean cheese
• 1 large egg

Directions:

1. Brown the sausage, sauté the garlic and onions. Add the tomatoes and basil. Simmer while preparing the rest of the ingredients 
2. Slice the zucchini to about 1/8" thick, salt the zucchini, and grill each side for a few minutes. Place on paper towels to absorb any extra moisture. 
3. Preheat oven to 350°
4. Mix together the ricotta cheese, parmesan cheese and egg 
5. Put some of the sauce on the bottom of a baking dish, then layer the zucchini, cheese and sauce until you use all of the ingredients. Top with mozzarella cheese. 
6. Cover in foil and bake in for 45 minutes. Uncover and bake for an additional 15 minutes

Crock Pot Chicken Cacciatore

Ingredients:

• 8 chicken thighs, boneless, skinless
• 28 oz can crushed tomatoes 
• 1 red bell pepper, sliced
• 1 small onion, sliced
• 1 clove of garlic, chopped
• 1 tsp dried oregano 
• 1 bay leaf
• mozzarella cheese for topping
• pasta of choice

Directions:

1. Place chicken on the bottom of the slow cooker. Add tomatoes, bell pepper, onion, garlic, oregano and bay leaf in the slow cooker 
2. Cook on low for 8 hours or high for 4 hours
3. Remove bay leaf, add cheese and serve with cooked linguine noodles

Southwest Stuffed Peppers

Ingredients:

• 3 bell peppers, cut in half lengthwise
• 1/3 cup chicken broth
• 1 package of shredded Monterey-Jack cheese 
• 1/2 lb ground turkey or beef
• 1 can black beans, rinsed and drained
• 1 can of corn, drained 
• 4 tbsp chopped canned jalapeño 
• 1 large diced tomato
• 1 clove garlic
• 1/2 chopped small onion
• 2 tsp cumin

Directions:

1. Brown the turkey with the garlic and onion in a large pan. Add the beans, corn, jalapeño, tomato and cumin. Stir together and let simmer until the liquid is reduced. 
2. Preheat the oven to 350°
3. Cut the peppers in half and remove the "insides"
4. Put the peppers in a casserole dish, stuffing each one with the filling. Pour the chicken broth on the bottom of the dish and cover with tin foil. Bake for 45-50 minutes 
5. Take off the foil and put cover each one with cheese. Bake for another 5 minutes or until the cheese melts and starts to brown. 

Shrimp Fried Rice

Ingredients:

• Day old rice 
• 1/2 bag frozen small cooked shrimp peeled
• Veggies (frozen mixed veggies work well)
• 3-4 eggs
• Green Onions
• Vegetable oil
• Soy sauce
• Sesame oil 

Directions: 

1. Scramble the eggs and put aside
2. Defrost the shrimp by putting it in a strainer and running it under cold water
3. Heat up some oil in a wok or giant frying pan, cook the chicken add the rice and break up
4. Add the veggies and sliced green onions. Fry until everything is warmed up and starts to brown. Add oil as needed. Add the shrimp toward the end, just so it can be warmed up. 
5. Add soy sauce to taste and add a bit of the sesame oil, stir in the eggs 

Every time I make this recipe it changes depending on what I have on hand. Cubed and cooked chicken is really easy and delicious too. No matter what you add to your fried rice, Sriracha is always a good idea. 

Philly Cheesesteak Stuffed Green Peppers

Ingredients:

• 1/2 lb of thinly sliced roast beef
• 8 slices provolone cheese
• 2 large green bell peppers
• 1 medium sized onion 
• 6 oz of sliced mushrooms
• 2 Tbs. butter
• 2 cloves of garlic

Directions:

1. Slice peppers in half lengthwise, remove "insides"
2. In a large pan melt butter and sauté the garlic, mushrooms and onions
3. Preheat oven to 400°
4. Slice roast beef into thin strips and add to the pan. Cook for a few more minutes
5. Line the inside of each pepper with a slice of provolone cheese. Fill each pepper with the sautéed goodies. Top each pepper with another slice of provolone cheese.
6. Bake for 15-20 minutes 

Jalapeño Cheddar Cornbread

Ingredients:

• 3 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 cup yellow cornmeal
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 2 tablespoons baking powder
• 2 teaspoons kosher salt
• 2 cups milk
• 3 extra-large eggs, lightly beaten
• 2 sticks of melted unsalted butter
• 1 package of shredded sharp cheddar cheese
• 3 tablespoons of chopped canned jalapeños 

Directions:

1. Combine the flour, cornmeal, sugar, baking powder, and salt in a large bowl. In a separate bowl, combine the milk, eggs, and butter.
2. Combine the two mixtures until most of the lumps are gone. Mix in 2 cups of the grated cheddar and jalapeños. 
3. Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. 
4. Pour the batter into a prepared baking pan, sprinkle some of the cheddar cheese on top. Bake for 30 to 35 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean. 

Pasta Sauce

Ingredients:

• 1 lb ground sausage (I like spicy sausage) 
• 3 cloves garlic
• 1/2 onion
• salt and pepper
• 28 oz can crushed tomatoes
• 2 tbsp chopped fresh basil
• 1 tbs oregano

Directions:

1. If you have sausage links instead of ground sausage, break the links and squeeze the sausage out of the casing
2. Brown the sausage in a saucepan, drain the juice
3. Add the garlic, and onions and sauté 
4. Add the rest of the ingredients

This sauce is easy to make, delicious, and much more healthy than any pre-made pasta sauce you can buy in the supermarket. I use this or a slight variation of this in anything from pasta, to lasagna, to chicky-chicky-parm-parm 

Zucchini Chips

Pictured with Jalapeño Cornbread and Pulled Pork

Ingredients:

• 2 fairly large zucchinis 
• 1/4 cup shredded parmesan cheese 
• 1/4 cup Panko breadcrumbs (italian seasoned) 
• 1tsp garlic powder 
• 1 tbs olive oil 

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees 
2. Slice the zucchini into rounds (1/4 of an inch) 
3. Put the zucchini in a bowl with a lid or a zip-lock bag, and add the oil. Shake up until the zucchini rounds are well coated. 
4. Add the cheese, breadcrumbs and garlic powder and shake again. 
5. Place the rounds on a cookie sheet lined with tin foil and sprayed with cooking spray. 
6. Put the remaining mixture on the rounds 
7. Bake for about 25 minutes, until crisp and golden brown

These were a hit with my grandparents, which was a huge compliment as they both know their food. My grandma even called me for the recipe! They are very easy to make and a good addition to a more casual meal like pulled pork. 

Stuffed Green Peppers

Ingredients:

• 1 C brown rice 
• 4 large green bell peppers 
• 1 onion 
• Olive oil 
• 1lb of sausage (turkey sausage to be healthier) 
• Red pepper flakes 
• Oregano 
• 2 cloves of garlic 
• 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese 
• 1 cup grated mozzarella cheese 
• Pasta sauce

Directions:

1. Cook the rice according to package 
2. Cut the tops off of the green peppers (cut enough off the top to chop up green pepper to add to the "insides"), take out all the seeds, slice the bottoms if necessary to make them stand straight. Put the peppers in a baking dish sprayed with cooking spray 
3. Chop up the green pepper tops (make sure to take out the stem and any white parts) 
4. Chop up the onion 
5. Chop or press the garlic 
6. Cook the chopped veggies in a large saucepan with some olive oil until translucent. Take off the heat and put aside 
7. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees 
8. Cook the sausage 
9. Add the veggies to the sausage, add the parmesan cheese, add some red pepper flakes and oregano to taste. Cook for about a minute to let the flavors mix 
10. Pack the peppers tight with the "insides." Put any leftover filling in a small baking dish to bake along with the peppers 
11. Bake for 30 minutes 
12. Add a big spoonful of the pasta sauce to each of the peppers and top with a mini mountain of mozzarella (do the same with the extra "insides") Cook for an additional 15 minutes until the cheese has melted and started to brown.

Pad Thai (Blackhawks win the Stanley Cup edition)

Ingredients:

• 8 ounces dried, wide and flat rice noodles 
• 2 tablespoons brown sugar 
• 2 tablespoons fresh lime juice, plus wedges for serving 
• 3 tablespoons soy sauce 
• 1 squirt Sriracha 
• 3 green onions white and green parts, separated and thinly sliced 
• 1 garlic clove, minced 
• 2 large eggs 
• 1/4 cup chopped roasted, salted peanuts 
• 1 cup bean sprouts 
• tofu (extra firm), (can also use cubed chicken breast or shrimp) 

Directions: 

1. Cook noodles according to package, drain 
2. In a small bowl, whisk together brown sugar, lime juice, soy sauce, and Sriracha. 
3. In a large nonstick skillet, heat oil over medium-high heat. 
4. Add scallion whites and garlic and cook slightly. Add eggs and cook like scrambled eggs. Set to side. 
5. Cube tofu, and fry it up with the bean sprouts until it starts to brown and sprouts cook. 
6. Add noodles, scallion greens, and sauce to skillet. Cook until the noodles have absorbed the sauce. Add egg mixture. 
7. Serve with lime wedges, topped with the peanuts and more sriracha 
8. Watch the Hawks win the Stanley Cup!!

Salsa Verde Chicken Tacos

Ingredients: 

• 1 1/2 lbs raw skinless chicken tenders 
• onion powder 
• oregano 
• ground cumin 
• 16 oz roasted salsa verde (Hoya brand for people who have husbands who despise cilantro) 
• tortillas 
• canned jalapeños 
• shredded cheese 

Directions:

1. Season chicken with onion powder, oregano, cumin and put in the slow cooker 
2. Cover with the salsa verde, cover and cook on high for 2 hours 
3. Remove the chicken and shred 
4. Drain some of the liquid, add the rest to the chicken 
5. Serve with favorite taco toppings

Chimichanga! Chimichanga!

Ingredients: 

• 8 oz package of cream cheese 
• 8 oz mexican shredded cheese 
• Taco seasoning (1 pack) 
• 1 lb of shredded chicken 
• flour tortillas 
• cooking spray 
• sour cream 
• salsa 

Directions:

1. stir together cream cheese, shredded cheese and taco seasoning 
2. mix in chicken 
3. divide into the flour tortillas (roll like a burrito) 
4. lay seam side down in a baking dish (sprayed with cooking spray) spray tops with cooking spray or brush some olive oil on them 
5. bake at 350 degrees for 15 minutes 
6. turn over and bake for another 15 minutes 
7. serve with sour cream and salsa

"Vegas" Lasagna

Ingredients:

• lasagna noodles 
• sausage 
• fresh spinach 
• ricotta cheese 
• mozzarella cheese 
• pasta sauce 

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Boil lasagna noodles until mostly cooked
2. Cook sausage, add pasta sauce 
3. In a 9 1/2 by 13 inch baking pan/dish put a thin layer of the pasta sauce at the bottom 
4. Put a layer of noodles, then cheese, then raw spinach, then the sausage/pasta sauce 
5. Repeat until everything is used up, ending with a layer of mozzarella cheese 
6. Cook for 30 minutes or until heated all the way through 

This is "Vegas" only because this was made the night before I went to Las Vegas with my mom and the leftovers served as Paul's dinner for the duration of the trip. It's quite delicious and a more flavorful spin on your classic lasagna. Yummmy 

Ham Bone Soup

Ingredients: 

• Ham bone with some meat 
• 3 potatoes cubed 
• 1 can of kidney beans drained 
• 1 can of diced tomatoes with juice 
• 1 can of green beans drained 
• 1 onion diced 
• 1 green pepper chopped 
• 4 cups of chicken broth 
• 2 chicken bouillon cubes 
• 1 box of mini ditalini noodles (or some other type of noodle) 
• water as needed 

Directions:

1. Combine all ingredients except for the noodles in a crock pot and cook for 8 hours
2. About an hour before ready to serve, add some of the noodles and additional water if desired 

An easy way to use that ham bone after Easter. This makes a ton of soup. Make sure you have plenty of people to share this with, or you can keep it for yourself and freeze it! 

Stuffed Chicken Breast

Pictured with Red Garlic Mashed Potatoes

Ingredients:

• 1/2 a package of cream cheese 
• 1/2 a package of (10 oz) frozen spinach 
• shredded mozzarella cheese 
• parmesan cheese 
• pasta sauce 
• italian seasoned bread crumbs 
• 2 chicken breasts (1/4- inch thick) 
• 1 egg 

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 375 
2. Mix cream cheese, spinach (thawed), about a 1/2 cup of mozzarella cheese and about 3 tbsp of parmesan cheese together in a bowl until smooth 
3. Spread mixture over a chicken breast (You may want to beat the hell out of the chicken to flatten it) and roll tightly securing with a toothpick 
4. Beat egg in a shallow dish, dip and cover the chicken in egg 
5. Roll the chicken in the bread crumbs to coat evenly 
6. Place, seam-sides down, in 13x9-inch baking dish sprayed with cooking spray. 
7. Bake for 30 min. or until chicken is done. 
8. Top with pasta sauce and shredded mozzarella cheese
9. Don't forget to take out the toothpicks! 

Peanut Butter Cookies

Ingredients:

• 1/4 cup sugar 
• 1/2 cup packed brown sugar 
• 1/2 cup butter, room temperature 
• 1/2 cup peanut butter 
• 1 egg 
• 1 1/4 cup flour 
• 3/4 teaspoon baking soda 
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder 
• 1/4 teaspoon salt 

Directions:

1. Beat the butter until creamy, 2 minutes. Add the sugars, beat for 2 more minutes. Mix in the peanut butter and egg. Mix together the dry ingredients - flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt. Stir the dry ingredients into the sugar butter mixture.
2. Wrap dough in plastic and refrigerate 
3. Preheat oven to 375°F. Shape dough into 1 1/4 inch balls. Place about 3 inches apart on an ungreased cookie sheet. Flatten in crisscross pattern with a fork. Bake until light brown, 9 to 10 minutes. Cool on baking sheets for a minute; transfer to rack to cool completely.

For chewier cookies, bake at 300°F for 15 minutes.

Buffalo Chicken Dip

Ingredients: 

• 8 ounces cream cheese 
• 1/2 cup blue cheese salad dressing 
• 1/2 cup any flavor Frank's® RedHot® Sauce 
• 1/2 cup crumbled blue cheese 
• 2 cans (9.75 oz. each) Swanson® White Premium Chunk Chicken Breast in Water, drained OR 2 cups shredded cooked chicken 

Directions:

1. Heat oven to 350 F. Place cream cheese into deep baking dish. Stir until smooth. 
2. Mix in dressing, Frank's® RedHot Sauce® and cheese. 
3. Stir in chicken 
4. Bake for 20 minutes or until it's heated through 

Serve with celery sticks and/or crackers

Corn Soufflé

Ingredients: 

• 1 can whole kernel corn - drained 
• 1 can cream corn 
• 1 box Jiffy Corn Muffin mix 
• 2 eggs well beaten 
• 1 (8OZ) Philly Cream Cheese - cubed about 1/2" 
• 1 Stick of butter (sweet-unsalted) - melted 
• 1 pint sour cream 

Directions:

1. Lightly grease 3 quart casserole dish with stick of butter, melt remaining 
2. Beat eggs, fold in Philadelphia cream cheese cubes 
3. Add sour cream and mix 
4. Add melted butter 
5. Add whole kernel and cream corn 
6. Add Jiffy corn muffin mix 
7. Mix all ingredients with whisk, pour in casserole dish 
8. Bake at 375 degrees (uncovered) for one hour till top is browning 

This is one of my absolute favorite dishes for Thanksgiving and Christmas. It's so yummy! Via the mom (via the grandma) 

Sweet Potato - Pecan Casserole

Ingredients: 

• 5 medium sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into 1 inch chunks 
• 1/3 cup honey 
• 1 large egg 
• 1 tsp ground cinnamon 
• 1/4 tsp ground nutmeg 
• 1/8 tsp ground ginger 
• salt 
• 1 tablespoon packed dark brown sugar 
• 1/3 cup finely chopped pecans 
• marshmallows (if desired) 

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 350, mist an 8 inch square baking dish with cooking spray 
2. Bring a few inches of water to a boil in a pot with a large steamer basket in place. Put the sweet potatoes in the basket, cover and steam until tender, 20-25 minutes. (Or boil the potatoes like you would for mashing) 
3. Transfer the potatoes to a bowl and let cool slightly. Add the honey, egg, 1/2 tsp cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger and 1/2 tsp salt; whip with an electric mixer until smooth. Spread the sweet potato mixture in the prepared baking dish 
4. Mix the brown sugar, pecans and remaining 1/2 tsp cinnamon in a bowl; sprinkle over the potatoes. Bake until hot and beginning to brown around the edges, 40-45 min. (about 30 minutes in, you can add marshmallows to the top as well) 

Usually sweet potato casserole is too sweet for me, this one has just the right amount of sweetness. It's a great dish to bring to the holidays. 

Creamy Chicken and Wild Rice Soup

Ingredients:

• 4 cups chicken broth 
• 2 celery stalks chopped 
• 2 carrots chopped 
• 1 small onion chopped 
• 2 cups water 
• 2 boneless chicken breasts, shredded (can also use a cooked rotisserie chicken) 
• 1 package of quick cooking seasoned wild rice 
• 1/2 tsp salt 
• 1/2 tsp pepper 
• 1/2 cup all purpose flour 
• 1/2 cup butter 
• 2 cups heavy cream 

Directions:

1. In a large pot over medium heat sauté onion, celery, carrots and garlic in oil 
2. Add the broth, water and chicken. Bring to just boiling, then stir in rice, reserving seasoning packet. Cover and remove from heat. 
3. In a small bowl, combine salt, pepper and flour. 
4. In a medium saucepan over medium heat, melt butter. Stir in contents of seasoning packet until mixture is bubbly. Reduce heat to low, then stir in flour mixture by tablespoons to form a roux. 
5. Whisk in cream, a little at a time until fully incorporated and smooth. Cook until thickened. 
6. Stir cream mixture into broth and rice. Cook over medium heat until heated through.

This is simply amazing. It's the perfect comfort food for those cold winter evenings.